Chris

“I always thought HIV was something I’d worry about when I got older, but then all of a sudden I had two friends who were positive, and I was dating a positive guy, and realized it was real for me now.”

Chris gave the student speech at his graduation last year and he told his peers that education is just like life—you get out of it what you put in. True to his word, Chris graduated with a degree in advertising and advertising design and was thrilled to land a position at a major global firm just a few months later.

Going back to school was a challenge for Chris, not in small part because he had to work to make it happen. At one point, he was in school full–time, had a full–time job, and was completing an internship. He can’t really remember how it all got done, but he knew that after he finished, he wanted to do something nice for himself. He hadn’t played soccer since junior high, but he picked up a ball and went out for VICE, a team that’s part of the San Francisco Spikes Soccer Club. “It’s been so amazing,” he says, “I’ve made life–long friends, and the team has offered such a great community for me.”

Chris grew up in the East Bay, but always knew he’d end up living in San Francisco. He loves the beach, he loves Twin Peaks, he loves that when he moved here he could sell his truck, and he loves the mix of people and cultures. “I’m living in the Tendernob now,” he says, “and everything you could think of is right outside my door.”

HIV only really became something Chris thought seriously about in the last couple of years. “I always thought HIV was something I’d worry about when I got older,” he remembers, “but then all of a sudden I had two friends who told me they were positive, and I started dating a positive guy, and realized it was real for me now.”

That was when his roommate told him about the vaccine study, and he decided to sign up. “I had the same misconception as everyone else,” he says, “I was sure you could get HIV from the vaccine.” But, he called up the clinic, did a little research, and came to realize that wasn’t the case. “I wasn’t going to put myself at risk that way,” he said, “but I know now you can’t get HIV from the vaccine.”

Now Chris has an HIV negative partner and he feels like he’s not so much at risk, but they are both dedicated to making sure their community gets all the education and care they need to stay healthy. And Chris believes an HIV vaccine would be an important part of that picture.